Maximizing Productivity by Reducing Meetings

Being busy always doesn’t allow our minds to think in new ways. Productivity gurus recommend following a golden rule: only schedule up to half your day with meetings. You’ll be busy but unproductive without a clear understanding of your priorities. To plan your day, clarify your most important tasks the night before. Then schedule those tasks on your calendar and focus on them over meetings that add little value. This will increase your productivity and give you a sense of control.

Delegate unnecessary meetings for you to attend to someone on your team. This will free up time on your calendar and allow others to practice new skills. Hacking meeting lengths can also save time. Try to shorten meetings by 15 minutes or more. Block out time in your calendar to think, whether two hours a day or two days a week. A back-to-back calendar is not a sign of your importance but rather a lack of clear boundaries, time management, and dedication to thinking.

Many people think having more meetings means being more productive, but that’s a misguided belief. It would be best to build thinking time into your schedule to be a proactive leader. Use real-time communication channels when possible.

Start meetings on time and treat the scheduled time as sacred, but stay moderate. Give participants at least 5 minutes to join and start with the agenda. State the goal and purpose at the start of every meeting and document questions and answers beforehand. If conversations go off track, delegate them to those involved to create space for follow-ups — delegate follow-ups for all lingering questions to others.

[¹]: Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life